Sudan faces famine crisis that could eclipse Ethiopia's 1980s catastrophe
Sudan is on the brink of a catastrophic famine that could surpass the devastation seen in Ethiopia in the 1980s.
Hunger and disease could claim the lives of over 2 million people by the end of this year, with the toll potentially rising to over 10 million by 2027 if the ongoing civil war persists without any intervention.
A joint statement by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and the Mercy Corps, noted that "Sudan is experiencing a starvation crisis of historic proportions. The silence is deafening. People are dying of hunger every day, and yet the focus remains on semantic debates and legal definitions."
The crisis began in April 2023, when violent clashes erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group. This power struggle has plunged the country into chaos, resulting in widespread violence, displacement, and destruction. Civilians have been the hardest hit, with millions fleeing their homes and many trapped in besieged cities with limited access to food, water, and medical supplies.
The ongoing conflict has also severely disrupted agriculture, leading to a dramatic decline in food production and exacerbating the already dire situation.
